Material handling apparatus



Searbh Room Filed May 22, 1942 2 Shoots-Sheri'I 1 2 INVENTORS IMPLEMENTS.

Fel 15 1944- J. D. Ru'ssELL Erm. 2,341,815

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Nay 22, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2o 1-9 '3' 1.9 1 -LZ 2J f ,f1 2:0 i ,gm mw In mil-'1]'r www I| l Li "--22 A I I 22" AAI-Ae. m I u mm. 20"' 19 A if 2'@ i, a j

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Q Patented Feb. 15, 1944 US? bll HUUUI MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS John D. Russell, Cranberry Township, Venango County, and Henry Thies, Franklin, Pa., assignors to Joy Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 22, 1942, Serial No. 444,134

1 Claim.

This invention relates to material handling apparatus and more particularly to mechanism for elevating or raising a cable drawn vehicle or skip into position to unload directly into a second materialtransporting device medium.

The present invention is particularly adapted for use in coal mining and especially the thinner seams thereof where the coal is moved from the working face to the primary haulage of the mine in a drag skip or wheeled car which is pulled back and forth by a double-acting drum hoist located adjacent the primary haulage unit.

The primary object of this invention is to provide means for raising or elevating the drag skip or car as it approaches the primary haulage unit whereby the material or coal being transported therein can be discharged directly onto a belt conveyor or other means forming the main haulage unit.

Another object is to provide means for elevating a drag skip or car which is operated by the movement of the skip or car toward the main haulage unit.

A further object is to provide an elevator having a platform for receiving a drag skip or car which is capable of moving forwardly and upwardly to raise the discharge end of the skip or car above the top of a primary transporting unit into which the skip or car is adapted to discharge its load.

A still further object is to provide an elevator for raising a drag skip or car above the surface over which it normally travels which is novel in construction and operation.

These and other objects which will hereinafter be made apparent to those skilled in this particular art are accomplished by means of this invention, one embodiment of which is described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drag skip or car elevator made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the elevator having a car positioned thereon and showing the relation of the elevator to the primary haulage unit, in this instance a belt conveyor;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the elevator, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail; I0 repre-- sents a car of the drag line type used to transport material in coal mines from the working face or loading area of the mine to a discharge or unloading station where the coal or other material being transported in the car I0 is dischargedonto a primary haulage unit such as a belt conveyor II. The car I0 is pulled back and forth from the working face or loading area to thc discharge station by cables I2 and I3 attached to the forward and rear ends respectively of the car and to a double-acting drum hoist I4 of usual construction which plays out the cable I2 when the cable I3 is being wound on the drum and vice versa. At or near the working face or area, the cable I3 passes around a pulley I4 mounted on a post I5 embedded in the surface on which the car I0 travels so that as the cable I3 is wound on the drum, the car will be hauled from the discharge or unloading station to the working face or loading area.

In order that the car I 0, when at the unloading station will be elevated to position the discharge end of the car above the top of the belt conveyor II and thereby facilitate the unloading of the car an elevator I'I embodying my invention is positioned adjacent the belt conveyor II for receiving the car I0 as it is pulled toward the conveyor II.

The elevator I1 comprises a rectangular shaped frame I8 having an upright member I9 at each corner thereof. Each of the upright members I9 has an upwardly and forwardly sloping cam track 20 formed therein in which a roller 2I is placed for following the contour of the cam track 20. The rollers 2l are journaled on spindles 22 secured to the corners of a car-receiving platform 23. In operation the cables I2 and I3 pass over the platform 23 and in order that the car I0 may be readily pulled onto the platform, the rear edge is beveled as at 24, and outwardly flared side boards 25 of suicient height to engage the sides of the car are secured to the platform adjacent the beveled edge 24 for guiding and centering the car on the platform.

In operation, the frame I8 of the elevator is positioned adjacent to the side of the conveyor I I so that when the elevator platform 23 is raised the forward or discharge end of the car I0 will extend over the conveyor I I.

Assuming that the car I0 has been loaded and is ready to be hauled to the discharge station, the operator starts the hoist I4 which Winds up the cable I2 and plays out the cable I3 hauling the car toward the discharge station. As the car approaches the elevator II the sides of the car are engaged by the outwardly flared side boards 25 which guide the car onto the platform 23 and the wheels readily pass up the beveled surface 24. When the car has reached the desired position on the platform 23, the wheels thereof come in contact with stop blocks 25 which limit further forward movement of the car relative to the platform 23 and brings the car to rest on the platform. From this construction it is apparent that continuing to wind up the cable I2 on the hoist I 4 will cause the follower rollers 2| to move in the cam tracks 2|) and due to the shape of the tracks the platform 23 will be moved forwardly and upwardly, and the discharge end of the car will be positioned over the top of the belt conveyor I I.

After the car |I| has been unloaded, the hoist I4 is reversed which Winds up the cable I3 and plays out the cable I2. As the cable I3 starts to wind up, the platform 23 is pulled rearwardly of the frame I8 and the rollers 2| travel rearwardly and downwardly in the cam tracks 20 and return the platform to its original Dosition. Relatively low wheel stops 21 are secured to the platform to prevent the car from leaving the platform before it is returned to its original position in the frame I8.

As soon as the rollers 2| engage the lower ends of the tracks 20, the continued reeling in of the cable |3 pulls the car over the stops 21 and olf of the platform 23. The car is then free to follow the cable back to the loading area.

While we have described our elevator in connection with a. Wheeled car or vehicle of the dragr line type, it is apparent that other types of cars or skips without wheels may be used therewith and that other modifications, substitutions, changes, additions and omissions may be made therein without departing from the spirit of our invention or the scope of the appended claim.

What we claim as new is:

An elevator for raising a car or skip of the drag line type comprising a frame, an upright member at each corner of said frame having an upwardly and forwardly sloping cam track formed therein, a car receiving platform mounted on said frame for movement longitudinally thereof, and over which the drag line extends, a series of roller carrying spindles mounted on the sides of said platform, one of said spindles projecting into each of said cam tracks whereby said rollers follow said cam track as said platform is moved longitudinally of said frame, members carried by said platform for guiding the car onto the same, and spaced stops on said platform for limiting forward movement of a car on said platform and for forming a guide for said drag line.

JOHN D. RUSSELL. HENRY THIES. 

